How To Make Homemade Mozzarella Cheese

Today I’m going to show you how to make Homemade Mozzarella Cheese. This is yet another recipe that I never thought I’d make, but I’m so glad that I did! I’ve had this on my “to make list” for a couple years now and I figured it was time to get around to it!

I was so intrigued making this cheese. I think it was part science experiment and part recipe! I was also impressed that from start to finish, clean-up included, it took me less than an hour to make! Pretty impressive if you ask me!

Pour the milk into a stainless steel pot. Gently stir in the citric acid mixture. Over medium to medium-high heat, heat milk to 88° F, continuing to stir. (I used a candy thermometer to check the temperature). Don’t be alarmed when the milk begins to curdle (see photo #2).

Add the vegetable rennet mixture and stir. When the milk reaches 100-105° F, turn off the heat. Cover with a lid and let sit undisturbed for 5 minutes. (While you’re waiting, bring another pot of water to just below boiling, around 190° F.)

At this point the curds (white part) should have pulled away from the sides of the pot and you should see a lot of whey (yellowish clear liquid) around the sides (see photo #3). If the whey is still a milky color, cover and wait a few more minutes.

Ladle the curds (see photo #4) into a strainer and place in the other pot of water (the curds should be submerged in the water). Let the curds sit for 5 minutes. (See photo #5)

Gently stir the curds under the water. Their internal temperature should be 135° F.

Ladle the curds onto a cutting board. (The cheese will be warm so be careful not to burn yourself.) Sprinkle the salt and stretch the cheese (which seems more like kneading dough, to me). (See photo #6) It will begin to tighten, and become firm with a glossy sheen.

Shape the cheese into desired balls, being careful not to over-work the mozzarella.

I know it sounds funny to say, but this cheese tasted just like mozzarella from the store. I felt healthier eating it, though, because I knew it didn’t have all the preservatives that store-bought cheese has. If you have kiddos in your household, that like to experiment, I think they’ll love to make their own cheese. This would definitely be a fun activity for the whole family! One recipe barely put a dent in the supplies I purchased (except for the milk) and I’ll have plenty to make even more yummy mozzarella cheese!

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113 Comments

I just wanted to say thank you for this great recipe. I haven’t actually tried to make it yet because I need to stock some of the ingredients but it sounds like the flavor would be awesome and Italian dishes are my favorite foods. I know once I am successful at making this I will never buy store brands again. Fresh is always better!!! I got to go to the store now but will let you know how it turned out. Thanks again.

Hi Anna! You’re absolutely right, I failed to add that step. (Sorry. I’ll get that added in for everyone else.) When you remove the curds from the water for the last time and begin stretching the cheese, add the salt.

If you click on the ingredient links, you can find the products on Amazon.

Well, I think the reason I wanted an answer to this is to determine if it is cost effective. I found mozzarella on clearance the other day at Winn-Dixie–about a baseball size–for $1.50. I’m not too hung on preservatives. This was fresh, and it did wonderful in my lasagna. Before I invested in the salt and the rennit and the milk, I’d need to know if it would be worth my while, financially.

I just wanted to say, I have bought mozzarella and I have bought mozzarella. There is a huge difference in the taste and texture of different cheeses. My man brought home some on sale stuff. It’s still in the fridge. A fantastic quality mozzarella cheese actually melts in your mouth. It’s like silk. I just want to know, do I use regular whole milk I buy at the grocery store?

Hello. I was really excited to try this. I bought all the stuff to make it and followed your directions but the cheese came out like ricotta cheese. Does that happen sometime? I’m sure I could still you this in lasagna or something. Any pointers on getting the result of actual mozzarella?

I don’t think it ever got to step 5. I also tried it with a different milk and still got the same thing! But the mozzicotta does make some mean lasagna though. :) I’ll keep trying with different types of milk. Or do you have a brand recommendation? I am trowing a party when it actually comes out right! My husband is going to kill me when he finds out I’m buying another gallon of milk for this. lol

Rachel, If you use ultra-pasteurized milk, the proteins cannot set to make curds. Check the label on the milk or try another brand that is just regular pasteurized. That may help. Unless that wasn’t the problem :)

I thought I was going to have ricotta cheese, too! I kept following the directions, a little disheartened, and then magically, as I was kneading the little tiny pieces of curds, they suddenly turned into the most beautiful mozzarella cheese ball. thank you. thank you. thank you for sharing your talents with us, Tshanina!!

instrad of using citric acid powder you can use 1/2 cup of apple cider vinegar. You can also use the junket tablets that usually are in the pudding/baking section of the store. It is the same as rennet, but you don’t have to get it some place special. We used to share a Jersey cow with another family and I made all the butter and mozzarella. You can also add seasonings to your cheese at that last stage. It also freezes very well if you happen to make it last that long!

[…] Not only can you make homemade mozzarella cheese using only 4 ingredients, but you can have it done in 1 hour…including cleanup! I don’t know about you, but every part of this just screams awesome, and I really can’t wait to give it a try! See Tutorial […]

Did you ever try this with lactose free milk? If so, how did it turn out? I love cheese, but it does not love me in return. Have you ever seen the movie French Kiss, where Meg Ryan’s character ate a ton of cheese, and was then curled up in a ball, in pain? Yeah, that’s me. We used to live 45 minutes from the French border, and we loved going over for the day, or sometimes, just for dinner. Of course I always ordered the cheese plate (I mean, it’s France, and it’s probably illegal not to order one, anyway), and would relish in the sheer deliciousness of it, despite my husband rolling his eyes at me the entire time, but later I would be a puddle of weeping misery. Totally worth it.
I’d like to try to make this with lactose free milk, but it’s expensive, and I’d rather not do it, if I know it doesn’t work! Crossing my fingers I’ll hear back from you, and you’ll tell me that it worked and was crazy delicious. ;)

I would LOVE to try out this recipe, however, I have a question… what “gallon” did you use? I tried converting “Gallon” to “Litres” and there’s a UK and US gallon with different results; UK was 4.5L and US was 3.7L… Which is closest to what you used?

Cheese salt is just that the salt is without iodine. Iodine harms and inhibits bacterial growth and well-being that is essential to any good cheesemaking. Iodized salt can also slow the aging process drastically.

Hey all. Just finished reading all your posts. A couple of observations.

1. If you use liquid rennet you use 1/4 teaspoon power gallon of milk. Dilute in non chlorinated water prior to adding to milk.

2. Cheese salt is non iodine salt. Also known as kosher salt.

3. When using fresh cows milk you do not need the citric acid.

4. With your leftover whey make ricotta cheese. Just boil the whey to 200 degrees then let sit till it cools to 140 degrees. Place in cheese cloth and let drain for about 1 hour or until it gets to the consistency you want.

I have tried to make mozzarella a few times, and failed! It is hard for me to admit that I cannot make this work for me cause I am usually very successful in the kitchen. I want to try again now cause your pictures are awesome. And I so want to have delicious homemade mozzarella for cheap!

Rennet, South Africa – Cheese Making Shop – South Africahttp://www.cheesemaking.co.za/shop/10-rennet-south-africa
Rennet. Rennet is the curdling enzyme that sets milk during the cheese making process. We have it available in South Africa in free powder and capsule form, from animal as well as vegetarian, vegan, microbial varieties. Also known as chymosin or rennin.

Hello, I’m new to the cheese making world. I have ordered rennet, citric acid and salt but I’m a little lost on what milk to use. Many sites say to not use UTH milk and this and that and so forth. What kind of milk did you use? It looks like a store bought one. Did you look for something special when buying it?

I tried this this weekend and it didn’t work out so well. Taste was good but it never got to where I could stretch it and was more like a ricotta texture. After 2 days in the fridge it did set up but during the making, after “kneading”, which was more like squishing my hands through thick mud, for at least 30 or 40 minutes, the texture was just like dry’ish ricotta. Any suggestions would be appreciated.

I am lactose intolerant and wonder if this would work with lactaid milk. I did read that overly pasteurized milk may not work, and I just wondered if anyone had tried it with lactaid milk. I would love to be able to have mozzarella I could actually eat without taking a bunch of pills first!!

The lactose intolerant pills are your best bet if you’re going to make cheese with cow’s milk. Years ago when a baby was lactose intollerant they could tolerate goat’s milk. I wonder how the recipe would need to be modified or even if that’s possible if you used goat’s milk. Maybe do some research. I know you can make cheese from goat’s milk, but I’m not certain what types.

After you place the curds in the second 190 degree water, do you turn that pot of water off while it sets for 5 minutes? I assume so since you’re trying to get the temp down to 135 degrees, but just wanted to make sure before I tried it.

I made this cheese as best as I could with the recipe provided, but maybe there is someone out here that can help me trouble shoot….I had to use dbl strength liquid vegetable rennet (I’m not sure if that has anything to do with my issue or not) and I used the instructions for the gal of milk on the bottle of rennet instead of 1/4 tablet…. mys cheese tastes good, but is a bit chewy and squeaks on your teeth as you eat it (my kids thought it to be quite a funny food lol), But I'[m wondering if I wasn’t able to knead it enough/ stretch it etc or if it was the rennet I used for it…? I used Barber’s whole milk. – thanks for any assistance that could be given to this first timer :)

I have had great success using tartaric acid to make mascarpone. Do you think i could substitute this for the the acetic acid you used? If so, any ideas on the quantity of tartaric a=ocid I should use?

Hi! I have been so excited to try this recipe, however when I attempted to make it tonight it did not curdle at all- it was still the consistency of the milk I started with. Any idea on what may have gone wrong? I want to try again this week but want to try to troubleshoot beforehand. Any feedback would be most appreciated!
Thanks,
Courtney

2 questions… Are the ingredients available (other than milk) at stores and/or where can one find them? And when would you add other ingredients ( like basil, pepper flakes, etc) if one wanted to. Are there any rules to additions? Ok, 3 questions!

More than likely the ingredients are available at stores, but I’m not sure where to point you since I purchased mine on Amazon.

I haven’t added other spices to mine but I bet it would be scrumptious! I’ve heard that you need to place flavorings (garlic and large pieces of spices) in a cheese cloth and add it when you first start warming your milk. I would think you could add your basil and pepper flakes at that same time. Or you could sprinkle them on top when you serve your cheese. I hope that helps!

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